Make holiday shopping a holiday
If you’re searching for holiday spirit this season, it may very well be waiting for you in the friendly towns of Summit and Morristown. Holiday shopping in either town will quickly remind you of what this time of year used to be before snarly traffic jams, crowded malls and tediously long check-out lines.
 

Festivities at home or on the town
The months of November and December provide many reasons for friends and family to gather. Whether you decide to give your own party or celebrate with family and friends at one of your favorite restaurants, New Jersey Countryside Magazine has you covered. Craig Shelton, executive chef and director of operations at Ome Caterers in Whippany, offers tips for hosting an intimate, relaxed gathering plus simple recipes for unique dishes you can prepare yourself, such as this recipe for Glazed Turnips. However, if you feel like letting someone else do the work, a list of holiday events at several exquisite restaurants and hotels is also provided.

Glazed Turnips

INGREDIENTS
8 baby turnips
8 slices duck prosciutto, sliced thin
12 mint leaves
2 tbsp. chicken stock
1 tbsp. duck fat or butter
1 tbsp. honey
Course ground black pepper

PROCEDURE
1 Blanch turnips starting in cold salted water, cook until just tender. Once cool to the touch, rub skin off with a kitchen towel.
2 Slice duck prosciutto paper-thin.
3 Place 1 mint leaf on each turnip and wrap prosciutto around it.
4 In small pan gently heat stock, duck fat and honey together until it starts to thicken.
5 Add turnips and coat. Add lots of course ground black pepper.
6 Use the remaining mint leaves to garnish plate.
Yield: 8 servings.

For more recipes, pick up the November/December issue of New Jersey Countryside Magazine, available now at bookstores, on newsstands and by subscription. Click here to get one free bonus issue and save more than 80% on a subscription.